Tech

Why Video Chat Doesn't Suck

Ian Small is CEO of TokBox, operator of the OpenTok Video Platform, which provides APIs and apps that allow anyone to add live video communications to their website or mobile app. He has been working on video and real-time communications for more than two decades, holds nine U.S. patents and occasionally blogs.

Several days ago, Mashable posted an article entitled "Why Does Video Chat Still Suck?," by Rob Lammle. While Rob makes some great points, there is a whole world in which video chat doesn’t suck — take the addict, for whom video chat is a lifeline, the sports fan who goes face-to-face with her favorite pitcher, the mother who asks a doctor to see her sick child without leaving the house, the student who learns a language or an instrument from home, and the busy executive who gets to spend more time with her family by avoiding an in-person meeting.

Rob was right: For many people, video chat does still suck. I know first hand how difficult the technology can be, at times. A broad range of closed systems (including Skype, Tango and Apple’s FaceTime) have popularized video chat in the last 24 months, but all of those systems require installing software, and none connects with one another. What’s more, as the world becomes mobile, bandwidth restrictions, data caps and the sheer cost of pushing large volumes of data over cellular networks have conspired to make a blossoming technology more expensive than it should be.

But so much of this scenario is already changing. While people are camera-shy at times, research indicates that teenagers and those in their early 20s are exceptionally comfortable appearing “live” in front of their computers or mobile devices. And the segment of consumers that use video chat is growing, as face-to-face video moves beyond "chatting with grandma" to become an increasingly common part of their days.

On the technology front, we’re seeing the emergence of WebRTC, a communications standard that enables real-time video and audio chat within a web browser; no messy plugins required. With WebRTC, a number of key players in the browser and video space are joining forces to create a video standard that offers improved video quality, lower latency, cross-platform compatibility and more, which means many of these walled-garden services will open and improve quality — and everything sucks a whole lot less.

While video conferencing standards have been around for awhile, a browser standard has not. And as WebRTC spreads, it will impact accessibility; services will start to work with each other and will be easier to use. WebRTC lets us imagine making face-to-face video a normal part of any application, allowing you to collaborate, play or otherwise interact with others.

Beyond technology advancements, most of the successful and user-friendly video chat applications are often not just video chat. Sure, you can use video chat to get more face time with your grandkids. But just as instant messaging moved from LOLs with friends to a primary customer support tool for Fortune 500 companies, so has video chat evolved. The technology is now a legitimate form of online communication that enriches lives and increases efficiency and effectiveness across a whole range of industries.

Video chat is a lifeline.In the Rooms is a social network for recovering addicts and their loved ones. It offers Narcotics Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous video meetings. Video chat makes it easier for those struggling with addiction to get the help they need.

Video chat helps people get in touch with their heroes.Major League Baseball hosts regular “Chatting Cage” events, inviting folks to engage in Q&A sessions with baseball stars like Hunter Pence of the San Francisco Giants. Video chat is taking fan engagement to a whole new level, bridging the sports bar and SportsCenter.

Video chat makes collaboration easier.Double Robotics has developed a telepresence robot that combines Segway-style movement with video presence, delivered through an iPad. Remote workers can now maintain a physical presence in the office from home, in the lab from the office, or between offices in different locations.

Video chat is making healthcare affordable and accessible.2nd MD helps patients access high-quality care anytime, anywhere from specialists all over the United States.

Video chat is revolutionizing brick and mortar retail at the point of sale.Bridgestone has installed kiosks in golf stores across the country, where golfers can talk face-to-face with experts to get advice on ball selection.

And these applications are just the beginning. Financial services, pharmaceutical, ecommerce, even car companies — all of these industries are seriously engaging with face-to-face video to enhance their businesses and the levels of service they can provide to consumers.

So while it is right to say that video chat has been the “next step” in communications for decades, it’s hard to deny that an awful lot of the building blocks are falling into place. Taking a rational look at the evidence, the odds are pretty good that during these next few years, video chat will pioneer exciting new territory.

Mashable
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